ABSTRACT
Catheter management starts at the time of placement and continues until the catheter
is removed. This includes diagnosing and dealing with problems associated with the
catheter, deciding on further imaging evaluation or manipulation of the catheter,
and deciding on the optimal time of catheter removal. While there is a great deal
of overlap in the management of catheters placed by radiologists into various anatomic
locations such as biliary tract, renal tract, gastrointestinal tract, pleural space,
and abdominal and pelvic abscesses, there are general complications and management
issues that apply to many catheter locations. The purposes of this article are to
discuss the management of drainage catheters placed by interventional radiologists
and to describe techniques for recognizing and dealing with complications.
KEYWORDS
Catheter - percutaneous - drainage - abscess
